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lectin
[ lek-tin ]
/ ˈlɛk tɪn /
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noun Biochemistry.
any of a group of proteins that bind to particular carbohydrates in the manner of an antibody and are commonly extracted from plants for use as an agglutinin, as in clumping red blood cells for blood typing.
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Origin of lectin
Words nearby lectin
Leconte de Lisle, Le Corbusier, Le Creusot, lect, lectern, lectin, lection, lectionary, lector, lectotype, lecture
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use lectin in a sentence
WGA is classified as a lectin—a term for a protein produced by an organism to protect itself from predation.
Thar hain't been such a run in Kanoy County sence they stopped 'lectin' country fellers fer sheriff.
I left it up to de white folks to 'tend to de 'lectin' of officers.
British Dictionary definitions for lectin
lectin
/ (ˈlɛktɪn) /
noun
a type of protein possessing high affinity for a specific sugar; lectins are often highly toxic
Word Origin for lectin
C20: from Latin lectus, past participle of legere to select + -in
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for lectin
lectin
[ lÄ•k′tÄn ]
n.
Any of several plant glycoproteins that bind to specific carbohydrate groups on the cell membranes, used in the laboratory to stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes and to agglutinate red blood cells.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.